From Aug. 1, high-school students would be offered three “mental health adjustment” days off per semester to help them, their parents and their school care for their psychological well-being, the Ministry of Education said yesterday.
The ministry announced that it would soon revise Article 24 of the Methods for Assessing Student Learning in Senior Secondary Schools (高級中等學校學生學習評量辦法) by adding “mental health adjustment” and “menstrual cycles” as permissible grounds for students to take time off.
While college and university students are allowed to take time off to care for their mental health, high-school students are not allowed to do so, the ministry said.
Photo: Yang Mien-chieh, Taipei Times
Allowing high-school students to have mental health adjustment days would help them balance their physical and mental health, handle any psychological discomfort and monitor their own psychological well-being, the ministry said, adding that it would also give parents and schools the opportunity to monitor the students.
Students can also take a half day or one day at a time, it added.
In March, the ministry began a trial of the new policy at 42 high schools across the country.
Results of the trial showed that a majority of schools would allow students to take time off if they are experiencing mild psychological discomfort, if they get consent from their parents or primary guardians.
Although most schools would not count students who take mental health adjustment leave as being absent, they would not be recognized as having a full attendance record.
The Taiwan Youth Foundation for Democracy wrote on Facebook that it recognizes the ministry’s efforts to boost the mental health of high-school students, but said that other supporting measures must be put in place to ensure the success of the new policy, such as giving students counseling information when they seek help.
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